Rick Ruark
Pittsburgh, PA
“Art is not boundary-driven. It doesn’t discriminate and therefore crosses all borders of humankind.”
Rick (he/him/his) was a proud, unique, concept-driven artist before his passing in 2023. His eye for shape and color was palpable. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Rick relocated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he lived until his passing. With a career in advertising and graphic design, Rick was able to exercise his creativity daily. However, peripheral neuropathy and arthritis affected his ability to use his hands and began to change his ability to execute complex key combinations on the computer. Still full of creative energy, Rick transitioned into a full-time artist.
Making art was healing for Rick, both physically and emotionally. In April of 2020, Rick received a liver and kidney transplant after a 7-year wait for a donor match. From a physical standpoint, making art kept him moving. He would stand when creating all of his art because he worked from a laid-flat easel, which prompted him to move around the piece and sometimes lift or turn it. During months of transplant recovery, this was critical for working his legs, arms and regaining balance. Emotionally and psychologically, Rick said “Making art can take the focus away from negativity and transfer those resources to something more positive. It's not an escape from issues, just a pleasant break, or respite from them and helps me to regroup as well as grounding me. Making art is a great equalizer for my emotions.”
Those who knew Rick and his work saw him as a ‘disrupter’ or ‘interruptor’. Rick explained, “I interrupt the flow of the viewers’ eyes on the canvas with a color, a geometry change or placement. Sometimes these are very obvious and other times very subtle. People either see it right away, eventually, or not at all. I enjoy it when people feel there’s something not quite right, but can’t quite pinpoint it. Sometimes deviation is necessary for the success of a concept and on occasion, the deviation becomes a permanent layer in my processes.”
For Rick, rejection was his biggest influencer and motivator because, as he would explain, success is an end result that comes from the hard work one does after rejection. He felt that rejection only led to a greater thoughtfulness in his creative processes and acknowledges the valid opinions of the viewer. He was influenced by the Haitian artists of Miami, whose color choices influenced his work, as well as Frank Lloyd Wright whose homes with their long, horizontal lines were first to inspire his geometric pieces. Additionally, Rick appreciated the use of geometry of Bauhaus artists and architects, as well as the colors and geometry used by Victor Vaserely, Andy Warhol, and Frank Stella.
Overall, Rick said his greatest accomplishments would first be his two sons, both of whom have since passed. Rick went on to say, “Second would be enjoying a successful professional career that I created on my own terms: a tremendous amount of self-teaching combined with the ability to relate to those layers of corporate America who believed in me and helped me along the way.” Rick beautifully summarized why ArtLifting was valuable to him and others when he said, “Artlifting breaks down that wall and reveals a display of talent and perseverance in individuals that, while they may have to work a little harder to produce their final result, accomplish it spectacularly. Artlifting gives these artists and creatives recognition for their accomplishments and legitimizes their work.”
